Renovascular hypertension treated by renal artery embolization

Abstract

Renovascular hypertension is caused by narrowing of the arteries supplying the kidneys. There are several methods to treat renal artery stenosis, such as medications, percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty, and atherosclerosis. A boy presented to our hospital with severe hypertension. Computed tomography angiogram revealed severe narrowing of the left renal artery and hypoplastic left kidney. Total renal artery embolizaton was performed to make a complete occlusion of the left renal artery. Follow-up renin and aldosterone levels were gradually decreased. The main advantage of renal artery embolization is that it is minimally invasive compared with extensive surgical procedures. Therefore, renal artery embolization should be considered as an alternative to surgical nephrectomy in pediatric patients with renovascular hypertension.